8 ms·

Why is airline food so bad?

34 points by yitchelle 10y ago

martin-adams 10y ago
Or it could be that loud noise affects how you perceive food. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3081285/Why-airplane-food-tastes-BAD-Loud-noise-flying-affects-way-perceive-flavour-study-claims.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3081285/Why-a...
CmdrSprinkles 10y ago
Funny enough, I prefer the cold food for everything but breakfast when flying (an ice cold Danish is not how I want to be informed that it is 0800 local time) Part of that is a lot of what the article mentioned (overcooked and soggy food is not what I consider good), but it is also just for peace of mind. I don't need to balance a lot of liquid filled tray compartments and I don't have to worry about the person next to me somehow flipping theirs (it happened before...). As long as they still have hot water and can reheat week old Starbucks then I am set.
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laumars 10y ago
What I didn't see mentioned in that article but has come up on other sources regarding airline food[1] is that the altitude also negatively affects your sense of smell and thus taste since so much of our perceived taste is actually smell. [1] http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hestons-mission-impossible/episode-guide/ http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hestons-mission-impossibl... (Episode 3 - British Airways)
- whyagaindavid 10y ago
  Yes, in (1) they describe detailed process that goes into a menu. Also, I get so stressed during all travel it definitely has much more effect. 1.BBC Two - A Very British Airline http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01yyh99 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01yyh99
- kbart 10y ago
  I often take my own food into a plane for the prolonged flights and it tastes ok, didn't notice any difference from eating on the ground.
  - laumars 10y ago
    It's difficult to respond to anecdote but I do think it's worth mentioning that the effect can alter depending on the specific flavours - some are affected more than others. I also expect there's some physiological aspects in play as well (eg some peoples nasal cavities might close up more than others). So it's possible you might be accidentally eating the right foods or just less susceptible than most.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
- taneq 10y ago
  The noise also messes with your taste buds: http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2015/05/planes-savory-tomato-becomes-favored-flavor http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2015/05/planes-savory-tomato... So basically, airline food is: * Overcooked * Reheated * Eaten at high altitude which affects the flavour * Eaten in a loud environment which affects the flavour Given all that, I'd say it's really not that bad!
antaviana 10y ago
I read once in a magazine in an airplane that the 0% humidity in cabin greatly altered the perceptions of food and wine. But of course that could have been an apologetic article to try to justify why everything tastes the same when flying.
- SixSigma 10y ago
  Umami flavours are enhanced, that's why they serve so much tomato juice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami
- amelius 10y ago
  This makes me wonder, what is the optimal humidity for food perception?
hellofunk 10y ago
Not all airline food is bad. It is the worst in the States in my experience, but many of the Asian and Middle Eastern airlines serve food I'd gladly pay for at a restaurant.
- chrisseaton 10y ago
  I once got the western option on Japan Airlines. It was described as spaghetti with ketchup, a beef burger and a sausage. I assumed it was just a bad translation and it would be some kind of pasta con carne dish in a tomato sauce, but no it was literally as described.
  - madaxe_again 10y ago
    Sounds like you had spaghetti napolitan. Japan has a few dishes which are hyperreal versions of American dishes.
  - kalleboo 10y ago
    My experience with asian airlines is that picking the western option is always doing yourself a disservice. I had possibly the best Laksa in my life on a Cathay Pacific flight, a decent Bibimbap on Asiana, and Singapore Airline's Chinese food is always spicy and tasty. Meanwhile I've never in my life had a airline omelette that I wouldn't have thrown out if I had made it at home.
- david-given 10y ago
  One of the best airline meals I've had was with Korean Air: what you got was a bowl of plain steamed white rice, a bowl of vegetable soup, and a variety of cold pickles and sauces which you added to the rice (including a tube of really nice mild chili sauce which I've never been able to track down). All of which, of course, worked fine on a plane --- there wasn't anything which could go... weird and crusty... the way a lot of airline food does. And it tasted good, too. The worst meal I had was with Air 2000 in probably about 1990. It was a intra-European charter flight, from Glasgow to Cyprus, and the meal was hilarious. Everything that should have been dry was soggy, everything that should have been moist was dry. Teenage me was particularly impressed by the croissant, which was completely limp (and moist, and greasy). It did come with a little pot of pink, though. I have a bit of a soft spot for airline pink, even though I have no idea what it was. You don't get it any more. BTW, if you want to be able to eat on a plane without elbowing your neighbour in the ribs, take chopsticks.
spraak 10y ago
Thai Airways food, even economy class, has been consistently good the from 6 flights I've flown with them in the past two months. Good curries with rice :)
- 2muchcoffeeman 10y ago
  Curries can use cheaper cuts of meat that are great for long cooking times and rice reheats really well. I often do the same for my work lunches.
- csydas 10y ago
  I was going to say something along these lines, but with pretty much every airline I've been on. Aeroflot, Icelandair, KVM, Lufthansa, Condor, Delta, all of the inflight food was acceptable. It wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible either. I didn't start flying international flights with meals until very recently (last 4 years), but I've never been dismissive of the meal offerings. If there was some change recently, it seems like it's that the airlines have figured out the best options for foods that are easy to store/move and have acceptable taste. Usually this seems to be rice+meat in sauce or vegetarian pasta with a few side dishes (salad, bread + cheese, etc), and for me this is fine. I don't relish the idea of trying to have a full meal on the tiny seat tray anyways, I'd rather just kill time with a book or sleep
  - spraak 10y ago
    Interestingly Thai Airways served some kind of chicken curry burrito for the recent flight I took from Bangkok to Northern Thailand, which was only an hour flight. I was surprised--it wasn't a full meal but way more than the stereotypical peanuts. Also I'd like to note that all these meals were included (or free in a way) which probably makes them taste much better. And on that, a friend of mine recently flew on American Airlines from London to New York and had to buy a meal, which I thought was strange
- g12mcgov 10y ago
  I agree, on Thai airways, the food is excellent. Singapore airlines too, I've had incredible meals (not just for airline food).
orly_bookz 10y ago
"So what's the deal with airplane food, amirite?" Wait... is the beeb starting a stand-up career in the 90s? Also, I've no idea why they bother with full meals. Just keep feeding people chips, cookies, nuts... the occasional scotch... I'm much happier with these than a wet pile of matter that you insist is beef bourguignon.
- SixSigma 10y ago
  Yeah, it's awful. They don't really go into anything technical. Don't forget your Gell-Mann amnesia when you click on the next BBC link [1] [1] http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/65213-briefly-stated-the-gell-mann-amnesia-effect-is-as-follows-you http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/65213-briefly-stated-the-gel...
- conradfr 10y ago
  http://mentalfloss.com/article/59044/whats-deal-whats-deal-did-seinfeld-actually-say-it http://mentalfloss.com/article/59044/whats-deal-whats-deal-d... I like full meals...
rwmj 10y ago
Never having flown on a private jet myself, what do they cook/serve at the high end of the market?
- ptaipale 10y ago
  That must be completely on the whim of whoever pays the bill. It can be absolutely anything from a bag of chips to a Michelin-starred professional cook.
chrisseaton 10y ago
I don't understand why airlines need to try to serve full meals in the first place. Even on a twelve hour flight why can't people just eat before boarding and after getting there? You certainly don't need to eat two meals on a short eight hour overnight flight. And the drinks service in economy on a 45 minute domestic flight really is a waste of everyone's time. In first when it's tractable it's a great way to pass the time. In economy I usually turn it down. The entertainment system is also a waste of time and space. If I wanted to watch some movie or listen to an NPR programme I could download it to my iPad before I boarded.
- laumars 10y ago
  A meal before and after a 10 hour flight wouldn't work for me. Not even for an overnight flight. I tend to need to eat frequently otherwise I get light headed. I'm not even a large person - just have a faster metabolism than most I guess.
  - return0 10y ago
    snacks and you 'd be fine.
    - laumars 10y ago
      Thank you for your expert judgement on my physiology but if it was as easy as that then I wouldn't have needed to make my former post. Some people can survive on one meal a day. Others, like me, need multiple. Trust me when I say my appetite is an unavoidable inconvenience.
- crummy 10y ago
  I flew a ten hour flight from Europe to LAX on Norwegian and no meals were served (you could buy food though). First time I've been on a flight that long with optional food.
  - stevesearer 10y ago
    How was the experience on Norwegian otherwise? I've been seeing wildly low prices from them ($283 RT LAX to Oslo) for instance and been wondering about quality.
jpalomaki 10y ago
I've had pretty decent food quite many times on airplane. I don't think there are therefore any specific reasons why the food has to be "bad". If the food is bad, then bad choices have been made somewhere. One typical issue seems to be to try too hard. Keep it simple chef. Pasta bolognese, meatballs with rice etc. I'm not expecting culinary experience in coach, I just want to get something to eat.
- ethbro 10y ago
  Agreed, I recently flew a few trans-Pacific hops on non-American carriers in business class and service and food was excellent. Don't expect filet mignon to be thrown in on Big Mac priced tickets with any carrier though.
SixSigma 10y ago
Emirates prepare 38 million meals per year in one facility https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yex-WMaJTjg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yex-WMaJTjg
dingaling 10y ago
One trick I learned from a million-miler was to preorder the vegetarian option. It usually arrives first as part of "special meal" handling and usually tastes great. Also much less chance of illness. I haven't had a bad airline meal since 1999 due to that advice...
- tacostakohashi 10y ago
  This is worthwhile. Often the vegetation option is some Indian curry with rice (dal, chickpea, etc), or something else simple that stands up to reheating a bit better than average.
- jblz 10y ago
  This works for me as well. If there's no option to preorder, usually there's a pasta option that's passable.
- thesimon 10y ago
  Downside: You are not going to get op-ups.
- kalleboo 10y ago
  One time the person booking the flight for me thought it would be funny to choose a Halal meal. Jokes on them, it was spicy and delicious. Got funny looks when I ordered a beer to go along with it though.
herge 10y ago
I am big, so I dislike having a seat tray in my lap for an hour or more. Nowadays I just skip the airline meal and pack a sandwich in my carry-on. Bad airline food is just not worth the 5$ savings.
saiya-jin 10y ago
isn't it basically a microwave food unless business/1st class?
Stauche 10y ago
After seeing what many people working in tech consider "good food" - this comment section should be locked for anyone saying otherwise.
the_mitsuhiko 10y ago
I think the trick to good airline food in economy is to specify a dietary restriction. I have been doing this for a while now and the end result is that you typically get slightly better food and you definitely get it faster no matter where in the plan you sit. Also it turns out that you can have asian style food on most routes in the world even if it's typically not offered otherwise. (Experience comes from mostly Lufhansa, Austrian and Swiss flights)
- elcct 10y ago
  I once witnessed airline not having food with dietary restriction in stock. They said sorry to the guy, but he was starving entire 11h+ flight
  - the_mitsuhiko 10y ago
    Never happened to me. When they don't have my preferred meal selection they usually offer me vegan or vegetarian food.
    - DonaldFisk 10y ago
      Vegan suits everyone, and it simplifies things for the airline and the cabin crew. On a flight from New York I requested a vegetarian meal. The passenger next to me was Muslim, and he requested a halal meal. We compared what we got,and they were both the same. If there were any Jewish or Hindu passengers on the flight that's what they'd have got too. And if they simply ran out of meat dishes, they would just apologize and offer the vegan dish instead.
  - knz 10y ago
    The first rule of ordering a special meal is bring your own food just in case they don't have it. The cabin crew can usually scrounge up something if necessary as well.
- cpursley 10y ago
  My wife and I use this trick as well. We still laugh at the slightly confused look and comment from a male Lufthansa flight attendant. When serving our food before everyone else, he looked down at the label and asked "Hindu?". Lufthansa has some of the best airline food I've had.
return0 10y ago
Why do they feel the need to serve full lunches anyway. Maybe its necessary for transocean flights, but i dislike food beyond snacks in shorter flights. Bad eating experience, smells etc. I didn't pay to fly on a packed moving restaurant. And the worst are people who drink a few glasses of wine.
- 7Z7 10y ago
  >I didn't pay to fly on a packed moving restaurant. I don't understand this line of thinking. Ultimately, you did pay for that. If you didn't want the inclusives there is usually a budget airline that let's you select every line item as required, and gives nothing for "free".
tacostakohashi 10y ago
I think the basic problem is simply that the food is "free". People choose flights on the basis of schedules and routes, and won't actually pay more for a better meal. Given the volumes of food involved, and the competition in the industry, shaving a few dollars or cents off each meal is always going to be an attractive option for airlines. If it were like on the ground, where you could choose nothing for $0, something cheap but edible for $10, of something nice for $30, then the quality would probably be rather better.
- Nursie 10y ago
  I agree. I am price sensitive on flights but would love an option to pay an extra amount for decent food. As it is food quality is something I take into account when selecting an airline. I listened to a documentary a little while ago about British airlines and the trend and pressure on their supply companies to hit a budget of £1 per meal per passenger. At that price it's no wonder we get fed crap.
- coldpie 10y ago
  That's a really good idea, but I wonder about the logistics of it: how do you ensure the right customer gets her meal? People swap seats all the time, so seat assignment doesn't work. Require ID or your plane ticket to get your pricey meal? That's a pain. I dunno.
- kalleboo 10y ago
  Tiger Air is an asian low-cost carrier where if you want food you have to pay for it off the menu. I enjoyed the meal. They also have simple stuff like cup noodles. http://www.tigerair.com/_content/lang/default/travel_info/During_Your_Flight_pdf/TigerInFlightMenu.pdf http://www.tigerair.com/_content/lang/default/travel_info/Du...
- SyneRyder 10y ago
  I think some airlines have that option. I seem to remember Virgin America in 2011 had inflight touch-screens where you could order meals (for a price) and have it brought to your seat on demand. Air Berlin also had an option to pre-order a meal on your flight for extra cost - it wasn't amazing, but I was happy with it. On flights where the meal has been free (Singapore & Qantas), I've also been happy with the food provided.
gokhan 10y ago
I think it depends. Last year, I went from Frankfurt to SF with United and food was bad. The plane was old, service was sloppy, no seat-back entertainment etc, almost everything was bad. Went SF to Zurich to Istanbul in return with Swiss and food was quite good for my taste, Swiss also served quality chocolate twice which was a nice surprise. Along with presents to kids (books, coloring book, crayons etc.) it was more than OK IMO. Last month, went Istanbul - Bangkok with Turkish Airlines[1] and upgraded to business in return flight. Food was delicious both in economy and business. I don't know Swiss, but Turkish Airlines' profitability fluctuates quarter to quarter and I know that they're heavily subsidized by government for political reasons, so the food they serve might not be of reasonable quality for a company totally moved by market forces. [1] I'm Turkish. I don't like Turkish Airlines for political reasons.
- jonwachob91 10y ago
  It does depend, and the article address the biggest varying factor - price. United is a low cost airline, by American standards (united is an American airline), and thus you get a low cost meal with low cost seat entertainment. Swiss, is not a low cost airline and prides themselves on quality not quantity.
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- Kabukks 10y ago
  I love Turkish Airlines for the food. They used to hand out Turkish Delight after take off. They didn't the last time I've flown with them though (October 2016, economy). Did they stop doing that altogether?
- cylinder 10y ago
  Airline food isn't bad, American airline food is bad. Qantas has excellent food.
neo2006 10y ago
I usually fly on Air France cross Atlantic and the food is always horrible. With air Canada it's slightly better. But once I took a flight on emirate airlines in Asia, in one way I was in economic class and the food was really good, on my way back I was upgraded to First class and I was literally eating in a Michelin stared restaurant. The food was cooked in the plane, the menu is varied and you have real dishes and forks and knifes. The food was so tasty. So my conclusion it's just another way for air companies to save money, period!!
- otar 10y ago
  Praise to Emirate Airlines. My best flight experience was with them. I can confirm that their food in the economy class was pretty good, in comparison to other airlines they were serving the real meal.
  - smcl 10y ago
    I've flown 4 flights with Emirates and the food was remarkably good. I was also impressed and surprised with the metal cutlery too (which was chilled for some reason) (I know that HN discourages "me too..." posts but in this context I think it's pretty valid)
    - coldpie 10y ago
      > I was also impressed and surprised with the metal cutlery too (which was chilled for some reason) I wonder if it was just stored in a place that isn't heated. The atmosphere gets pretty cold up there.
- aroch 10y ago
  I swear to god, Air France bakes all their "bread" for the year during whatever month wheat is cheapest. Half the food they serve you is brick-like rolls with frozen butter or cheese-product.
tluyben2 10y ago
Always ask for special meals. I order the Asian vegetarian always and people look in horror at their food when they see mine arrive...
cluoma 10y ago
I usually fly British Airways, Germany to Canada, and found their food to be pretty decent even in economy class. Although, after a couple mini-wines it doesn't matter so much anymore.
ebbv 10y ago
Because they can't have a proper kitchen on a plane and microwave food is crap.
simonh 10y ago
Spicy Peperami x2, variety mini-cheeses, Pringles and/or salted peanuts, Lipton's ice tea. Done. Don't care what they serve me.
stasm 10y ago
I found that the one of the best ways to combat jetlag (at last on transatlantic long-haul flights) is to completely forgo eating on the plane. Instead, just drink a lot of water. In fact, I usually try to have my last meal in the origin timezone at least 16 hours before the first breakfast in the destination timezone. I fly quite regularly from CET to PST and back, and this scheme has worked well for me. I wouldn't mind if airlines stopped serving free food, thus giving me a choice of not eating at all for a reduced total price of the flight. The whole ritual seems rooted in the old maritime traditions, while the rest of the experience including the travel time and the seating position, are different and modern.
throwaway2016a 10y ago
What is airline food? Seriously, last time I had food served to me on a plane was 5 years ago. I must be using the wrong airlines. Unless you count chips or a cheese and cracker plate you have to pay $9 for.
- Veen 10y ago
  Cheaper airlines and short-hops don't bother with food any more. I flew recently with a European budget airline that nickle-and-dimed for everything including water. Not really relevant but that was definitely the worst flight I've ever been on. Half-way through one of the flight attendants appeared to have a breakdown and burst into tears. A little later she was in the curtained area, and when someone opened it she screamed at the top of her lungs (not comforting). Furthermore, as the plane was coming in to land, the flight attendants were sitting in their seats sharing jokes about YouTube videos they'd recently watched of accidents when the landing gear gets stuck. They also made rude comments about bad passengers they'd had in the past (including stuff like "I'd have thrown the fat bitch out of the door"). Won't be flying with them again.
jcfrei 10y ago
Haven't found this explanation yet so I'm putting it out there: I think the reason the food is bad (on purpose) in the economy class is simple price discrimination. You want people with deeper pockets to pay higher prices for the same flight. Passengers have a varying willingness to pay and the most effective way to discriminate between them is if they themselves can choose into which category (economy, business, 1st class) they belong. Narrow spaces and bad food in the economy class are simply one way to make richer passengers pay more for the same flight - I don't think the production of better tasting food would have a significant impact on airline profits.
hatsunearu 10y ago
Am I the only one who feels airline food is fine, and at some times delicious? I've flown in countless airlines and I honestly don't remember a single meal where it was actually less than "I could eat food of this quality every day." (of course, the same meal every day regardless of quality will be pretty bad)
alexandersingh 10y ago
I always just buy or cook my own food prior to departing for the airport and bring it onto the plane. Considering how heinous many in-flight options are I'm surprised I don't see more people do it.
jrnichols 10y ago
Some of the best airline food I've ever had was on Royal Jordanian, Emirates, Condor, Lufthansa.. seeing a pattern here? I can't remember the last time that I had a decent in-flight meal on an American based carrier. The foreign flagged ones have been decent.

34 points by yitchelle 10y ago

Or it could be that loud noise affects how you perceive food. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3081285/Why-airplane-food-tastes-BAD-Loud-noise-flying-affects-way-perceive-flavour-study-claims.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3081285/Why-a...

CmdrSprinkles 10y ago

Funny enough, I prefer the cold food for everything but breakfast when flying (an ice cold Danish is not how I want to be informed that it is 0800 local time) Part of that is a lot of what the article mentioned (overcooked and soggy food is not what I consider good), but it is also just for peace of mind. I don't need to balance a lot of liquid filled tray compartments and I don't have to worry about the person next to me somehow flipping theirs (it happened before...). As long as they still have hot water and can reheat week old Starbucks then I am set.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

laumars 10y ago

What I didn't see mentioned in that article but has come up on other sources regarding airline food[1] is that the altitude also negatively affects your sense of smell and thus taste since so much of our perceived taste is actually smell. [1] http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hestons-mission-impossible/episode-guide/ http://www.channel4.com/programmes/hestons-mission-impossibl... (Episode 3 - British Airways)

whyagaindavid 10y ago
Yes, in (1) they describe detailed process that goes into a menu. Also, I get so stressed during all travel it definitely has much more effect. 1.BBC Two - A Very British Airline http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01yyh99 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01yyh99
kbart 10y ago
I often take my own food into a plane for the prolonged flights and it tastes ok, didn't notice any difference from eating on the ground.
- laumars 10y ago
  It's difficult to respond to anecdote but I do think it's worth mentioning that the effect can alter depending on the specific flavours - some are affected more than others. I also expect there's some physiological aspects in play as well (eg some peoples nasal cavities might close up more than others). So it's possible you might be accidentally eating the right foods or just less susceptible than most.
- deleted 10y ago
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taneq 10y ago
The noise also messes with your taste buds: http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2015/05/planes-savory-tomato-becomes-favored-flavor http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2015/05/planes-savory-tomato... So basically, airline food is: * Overcooked * Reheated * Eaten at high altitude which affects the flavour * Eaten in a loud environment which affects the flavour Given all that, I'd say it's really not that bad!

antaviana 10y ago

I read once in a magazine in an airplane that the 0% humidity in cabin greatly altered the perceptions of food and wine. But of course that could have been an apologetic article to try to justify why everything tastes the same when flying.

SixSigma 10y ago
Umami flavours are enhanced, that's why they serve so much tomato juice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami
amelius 10y ago
This makes me wonder, what is the optimal humidity for food perception?

hellofunk 10y ago

Not all airline food is bad. It is the worst in the States in my experience, but many of the Asian and Middle Eastern airlines serve food I'd gladly pay for at a restaurant.

chrisseaton 10y ago
I once got the western option on Japan Airlines. It was described as spaghetti with ketchup, a beef burger and a sausage. I assumed it was just a bad translation and it would be some kind of pasta con carne dish in a tomato sauce, but no it was literally as described.
- madaxe_again 10y ago
  Sounds like you had spaghetti napolitan. Japan has a few dishes which are hyperreal versions of American dishes.
- kalleboo 10y ago
  My experience with asian airlines is that picking the western option is always doing yourself a disservice. I had possibly the best Laksa in my life on a Cathay Pacific flight, a decent Bibimbap on Asiana, and Singapore Airline's Chinese food is always spicy and tasty. Meanwhile I've never in my life had a airline omelette that I wouldn't have thrown out if I had made it at home.
david-given 10y ago
One of the best airline meals I've had was with Korean Air: what you got was a bowl of plain steamed white rice, a bowl of vegetable soup, and a variety of cold pickles and sauces which you added to the rice (including a tube of really nice mild chili sauce which I've never been able to track down). All of which, of course, worked fine on a plane --- there wasn't anything which could go... weird and crusty... the way a lot of airline food does. And it tasted good, too. The worst meal I had was with Air 2000 in probably about 1990. It was a intra-European charter flight, from Glasgow to Cyprus, and the meal was hilarious. Everything that should have been dry was soggy, everything that should have been moist was dry. Teenage me was particularly impressed by the croissant, which was completely limp (and moist, and greasy). It did come with a little pot of pink, though. I have a bit of a soft spot for airline pink, even though I have no idea what it was. You don't get it any more. BTW, if you want to be able to eat on a plane without elbowing your neighbour in the ribs, take chopsticks.

spraak 10y ago

Thai Airways food, even economy class, has been consistently good the from 6 flights I've flown with them in the past two months. Good curries with rice :)

2muchcoffeeman 10y ago
Curries can use cheaper cuts of meat that are great for long cooking times and rice reheats really well. I often do the same for my work lunches.
csydas 10y ago
I was going to say something along these lines, but with pretty much every airline I've been on. Aeroflot, Icelandair, KVM, Lufthansa, Condor, Delta, all of the inflight food was acceptable. It wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible either. I didn't start flying international flights with meals until very recently (last 4 years), but I've never been dismissive of the meal offerings. If there was some change recently, it seems like it's that the airlines have figured out the best options for foods that are easy to store/move and have acceptable taste. Usually this seems to be rice+meat in sauce or vegetarian pasta with a few side dishes (salad, bread + cheese, etc), and for me this is fine. I don't relish the idea of trying to have a full meal on the tiny seat tray anyways, I'd rather just kill time with a book or sleep
- spraak 10y ago
  Interestingly Thai Airways served some kind of chicken curry burrito for the recent flight I took from Bangkok to Northern Thailand, which was only an hour flight. I was surprised--it wasn't a full meal but way more than the stereotypical peanuts. Also I'd like to note that all these meals were included (or free in a way) which probably makes them taste much better. And on that, a friend of mine recently flew on American Airlines from London to New York and had to buy a meal, which I thought was strange
g12mcgov 10y ago
I agree, on Thai airways, the food is excellent. Singapore airlines too, I've had incredible meals (not just for airline food).

orly_bookz 10y ago

"So what's the deal with airplane food, amirite?" Wait... is the beeb starting a stand-up career in the 90s? Also, I've no idea why they bother with full meals. Just keep feeding people chips, cookies, nuts... the occasional scotch... I'm much happier with these than a wet pile of matter that you insist is beef bourguignon.

SixSigma 10y ago
Yeah, it's awful. They don't really go into anything technical. Don't forget your Gell-Mann amnesia when you click on the next BBC link [1] [1] http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/65213-briefly-stated-the-gell-mann-amnesia-effect-is-as-follows-you http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/65213-briefly-stated-the-gel...
conradfr 10y ago
http://mentalfloss.com/article/59044/whats-deal-whats-deal-did-seinfeld-actually-say-it http://mentalfloss.com/article/59044/whats-deal-whats-deal-d... I like full meals...

rwmj 10y ago

Never having flown on a private jet myself, what do they cook/serve at the high end of the market?

ptaipale 10y ago
That must be completely on the whim of whoever pays the bill. It can be absolutely anything from a bag of chips to a Michelin-starred professional cook.

chrisseaton 10y ago

I don't understand why airlines need to try to serve full meals in the first place. Even on a twelve hour flight why can't people just eat before boarding and after getting there? You certainly don't need to eat two meals on a short eight hour overnight flight. And the drinks service in economy on a 45 minute domestic flight really is a waste of everyone's time. In first when it's tractable it's a great way to pass the time. In economy I usually turn it down. The entertainment system is also a waste of time and space. If I wanted to watch some movie or listen to an NPR programme I could download it to my iPad before I boarded.

laumars 10y ago
A meal before and after a 10 hour flight wouldn't work for me. Not even for an overnight flight. I tend to need to eat frequently otherwise I get light headed. I'm not even a large person - just have a faster metabolism than most I guess.
- return0 10y ago
  snacks and you 'd be fine.
  - laumars 10y ago
    Thank you for your expert judgement on my physiology but if it was as easy as that then I wouldn't have needed to make my former post. Some people can survive on one meal a day. Others, like me, need multiple. Trust me when I say my appetite is an unavoidable inconvenience.
crummy 10y ago
I flew a ten hour flight from Europe to LAX on Norwegian and no meals were served (you could buy food though). First time I've been on a flight that long with optional food.
- stevesearer 10y ago
  How was the experience on Norwegian otherwise? I've been seeing wildly low prices from them ($283 RT LAX to Oslo) for instance and been wondering about quality.

jpalomaki 10y ago

I've had pretty decent food quite many times on airplane. I don't think there are therefore any specific reasons why the food has to be "bad". If the food is bad, then bad choices have been made somewhere. One typical issue seems to be to try too hard. Keep it simple chef. Pasta bolognese, meatballs with rice etc. I'm not expecting culinary experience in coach, I just want to get something to eat.

ethbro 10y ago
Agreed, I recently flew a few trans-Pacific hops on non-American carriers in business class and service and food was excellent. Don't expect filet mignon to be thrown in on Big Mac priced tickets with any carrier though.

SixSigma 10y ago

Emirates prepare 38 million meals per year in one facility https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yex-WMaJTjg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yex-WMaJTjg

dingaling 10y ago

One trick I learned from a million-miler was to preorder the vegetarian option. It usually arrives first as part of "special meal" handling and usually tastes great. Also much less chance of illness. I haven't had a bad airline meal since 1999 due to that advice...

tacostakohashi 10y ago
This is worthwhile. Often the vegetation option is some Indian curry with rice (dal, chickpea, etc), or something else simple that stands up to reheating a bit better than average.
jblz 10y ago
This works for me as well. If there's no option to preorder, usually there's a pasta option that's passable.
thesimon 10y ago
Downside: You are not going to get op-ups.
kalleboo 10y ago
One time the person booking the flight for me thought it would be funny to choose a Halal meal. Jokes on them, it was spicy and delicious. Got funny looks when I ordered a beer to go along with it though.

herge 10y ago

I am big, so I dislike having a seat tray in my lap for an hour or more. Nowadays I just skip the airline meal and pack a sandwich in my carry-on. Bad airline food is just not worth the 5$ savings.

saiya-jin 10y ago

isn't it basically a microwave food unless business/1st class?

Stauche 10y ago

After seeing what many people working in tech consider "good food" - this comment section should be locked for anyone saying otherwise.

the_mitsuhiko 10y ago

I think the trick to good airline food in economy is to specify a dietary restriction. I have been doing this for a while now and the end result is that you typically get slightly better food and you definitely get it faster no matter where in the plan you sit. Also it turns out that you can have asian style food on most routes in the world even if it's typically not offered otherwise. (Experience comes from mostly Lufhansa, Austrian and Swiss flights)

elcct 10y ago
I once witnessed airline not having food with dietary restriction in stock. They said sorry to the guy, but he was starving entire 11h+ flight
- the_mitsuhiko 10y ago
  Never happened to me. When they don't have my preferred meal selection they usually offer me vegan or vegetarian food.
  - DonaldFisk 10y ago
    Vegan suits everyone, and it simplifies things for the airline and the cabin crew. On a flight from New York I requested a vegetarian meal. The passenger next to me was Muslim, and he requested a halal meal. We compared what we got,and they were both the same. If there were any Jewish or Hindu passengers on the flight that's what they'd have got too. And if they simply ran out of meat dishes, they would just apologize and offer the vegan dish instead.
- knz 10y ago
  The first rule of ordering a special meal is bring your own food just in case they don't have it. The cabin crew can usually scrounge up something if necessary as well.
cpursley 10y ago
My wife and I use this trick as well. We still laugh at the slightly confused look and comment from a male Lufthansa flight attendant. When serving our food before everyone else, he looked down at the label and asked "Hindu?". Lufthansa has some of the best airline food I've had.

return0 10y ago

Why do they feel the need to serve full lunches anyway. Maybe its necessary for transocean flights, but i dislike food beyond snacks in shorter flights. Bad eating experience, smells etc. I didn't pay to fly on a packed moving restaurant. And the worst are people who drink a few glasses of wine.

7Z7 10y ago
>I didn't pay to fly on a packed moving restaurant. I don't understand this line of thinking. Ultimately, you did pay for that. If you didn't want the inclusives there is usually a budget airline that let's you select every line item as required, and gives nothing for "free".

tacostakohashi 10y ago

I think the basic problem is simply that the food is "free". People choose flights on the basis of schedules and routes, and won't actually pay more for a better meal. Given the volumes of food involved, and the competition in the industry, shaving a few dollars or cents off each meal is always going to be an attractive option for airlines. If it were like on the ground, where you could choose nothing for $0, something cheap but edible for $10, of something nice for $30, then the quality would probably be rather better.

Nursie 10y ago
I agree. I am price sensitive on flights but would love an option to pay an extra amount for decent food. As it is food quality is something I take into account when selecting an airline. I listened to a documentary a little while ago about British airlines and the trend and pressure on their supply companies to hit a budget of £1 per meal per passenger. At that price it's no wonder we get fed crap.
coldpie 10y ago
That's a really good idea, but I wonder about the logistics of it: how do you ensure the right customer gets her meal? People swap seats all the time, so seat assignment doesn't work. Require ID or your plane ticket to get your pricey meal? That's a pain. I dunno.
kalleboo 10y ago
Tiger Air is an asian low-cost carrier where if you want food you have to pay for it off the menu. I enjoyed the meal. They also have simple stuff like cup noodles. http://www.tigerair.com/_content/lang/default/travel_info/During_Your_Flight_pdf/TigerInFlightMenu.pdf http://www.tigerair.com/_content/lang/default/travel_info/Du...
SyneRyder 10y ago
I think some airlines have that option. I seem to remember Virgin America in 2011 had inflight touch-screens where you could order meals (for a price) and have it brought to your seat on demand. Air Berlin also had an option to pre-order a meal on your flight for extra cost - it wasn't amazing, but I was happy with it. On flights where the meal has been free (Singapore & Qantas), I've also been happy with the food provided.

gokhan 10y ago

I think it depends. Last year, I went from Frankfurt to SF with United and food was bad. The plane was old, service was sloppy, no seat-back entertainment etc, almost everything was bad. Went SF to Zurich to Istanbul in return with Swiss and food was quite good for my taste, Swiss also served quality chocolate twice which was a nice surprise. Along with presents to kids (books, coloring book, crayons etc.) it was more than OK IMO. Last month, went Istanbul - Bangkok with Turkish Airlines[1] and upgraded to business in return flight. Food was delicious both in economy and business. I don't know Swiss, but Turkish Airlines' profitability fluctuates quarter to quarter and I know that they're heavily subsidized by government for political reasons, so the food they serve might not be of reasonable quality for a company totally moved by market forces. [1] I'm Turkish. I don't like Turkish Airlines for political reasons.

jonwachob91 10y ago
It does depend, and the article address the biggest varying factor - price. United is a low cost airline, by American standards (united is an American airline), and thus you get a low cost meal with low cost seat entertainment. Swiss, is not a low cost airline and prides themselves on quality not quantity.
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Kabukks 10y ago
I love Turkish Airlines for the food. They used to hand out Turkish Delight after take off. They didn't the last time I've flown with them though (October 2016, economy). Did they stop doing that altogether?
cylinder 10y ago
Airline food isn't bad, American airline food is bad. Qantas has excellent food.

neo2006 10y ago

I usually fly on Air France cross Atlantic and the food is always horrible. With air Canada it's slightly better. But once I took a flight on emirate airlines in Asia, in one way I was in economic class and the food was really good, on my way back I was upgraded to First class and I was literally eating in a Michelin stared restaurant. The food was cooked in the plane, the menu is varied and you have real dishes and forks and knifes. The food was so tasty. So my conclusion it's just another way for air companies to save money, period!!

otar 10y ago
Praise to Emirate Airlines. My best flight experience was with them. I can confirm that their food in the economy class was pretty good, in comparison to other airlines they were serving the real meal.
- smcl 10y ago
  I've flown 4 flights with Emirates and the food was remarkably good. I was also impressed and surprised with the metal cutlery too (which was chilled for some reason) (I know that HN discourages "me too..." posts but in this context I think it's pretty valid)
  - coldpie 10y ago
    > I was also impressed and surprised with the metal cutlery too (which was chilled for some reason) I wonder if it was just stored in a place that isn't heated. The atmosphere gets pretty cold up there.
aroch 10y ago
I swear to god, Air France bakes all their "bread" for the year during whatever month wheat is cheapest. Half the food they serve you is brick-like rolls with frozen butter or cheese-product.

tluyben2 10y ago

Always ask for special meals. I order the Asian vegetarian always and people look in horror at their food when they see mine arrive...

cluoma 10y ago

I usually fly British Airways, Germany to Canada, and found their food to be pretty decent even in economy class. Although, after a couple mini-wines it doesn't matter so much anymore.

ebbv 10y ago

Because they can't have a proper kitchen on a plane and microwave food is crap.

simonh 10y ago

Spicy Peperami x2, variety mini-cheeses, Pringles and/or salted peanuts, Lipton's ice tea. Done. Don't care what they serve me.

stasm 10y ago

I found that the one of the best ways to combat jetlag (at last on transatlantic long-haul flights) is to completely forgo eating on the plane. Instead, just drink a lot of water. In fact, I usually try to have my last meal in the origin timezone at least 16 hours before the first breakfast in the destination timezone. I fly quite regularly from CET to PST and back, and this scheme has worked well for me. I wouldn't mind if airlines stopped serving free food, thus giving me a choice of not eating at all for a reduced total price of the flight. The whole ritual seems rooted in the old maritime traditions, while the rest of the experience including the travel time and the seating position, are different and modern.

throwaway2016a 10y ago

What is airline food? Seriously, last time I had food served to me on a plane was 5 years ago. I must be using the wrong airlines. Unless you count chips or a cheese and cracker plate you have to pay $9 for.

Veen 10y ago
Cheaper airlines and short-hops don't bother with food any more. I flew recently with a European budget airline that nickle-and-dimed for everything including water. Not really relevant but that was definitely the worst flight I've ever been on. Half-way through one of the flight attendants appeared to have a breakdown and burst into tears. A little later she was in the curtained area, and when someone opened it she screamed at the top of her lungs (not comforting). Furthermore, as the plane was coming in to land, the flight attendants were sitting in their seats sharing jokes about YouTube videos they'd recently watched of accidents when the landing gear gets stuck. They also made rude comments about bad passengers they'd had in the past (including stuff like "I'd have thrown the fat bitch out of the door"). Won't be flying with them again.

jcfrei 10y ago

Haven't found this explanation yet so I'm putting it out there: I think the reason the food is bad (on purpose) in the economy class is simple price discrimination. You want people with deeper pockets to pay higher prices for the same flight. Passengers have a varying willingness to pay and the most effective way to discriminate between them is if they themselves can choose into which category (economy, business, 1st class) they belong. Narrow spaces and bad food in the economy class are simply one way to make richer passengers pay more for the same flight - I don't think the production of better tasting food would have a significant impact on airline profits.

hatsunearu 10y ago

Am I the only one who feels airline food is fine, and at some times delicious? I've flown in countless airlines and I honestly don't remember a single meal where it was actually less than "I could eat food of this quality every day." (of course, the same meal every day regardless of quality will be pretty bad)

alexandersingh 10y ago

I always just buy or cook my own food prior to departing for the airport and bring it onto the plane. Considering how heinous many in-flight options are I'm surprised I don't see more people do it.

jrnichols 10y ago

Some of the best airline food I've ever had was on Royal Jordanian, Emirates, Condor, Lufthansa.. seeing a pattern here? I can't remember the last time that I had a decent in-flight meal on an American based carrier. The foreign flagged ones have been decent.